Method and means for controlling the flow in fluid-conduit systems.



W. R. SMITH.

METHOD ANB MEANS FOR CUNTROLLING THE FLOW IN FLUID CONDUIT SYSTEMS.

APPLICATWI FILED IMYHI ISIS.

Patented Dec, 4, 1917.

"UNITED STATES PATENT oirron.

WILLIAM nUssELL SMITH,

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONTBOLLING Application fled =May 17,

lb all whom t mary concern:

Be it known that I, VVJLLLAM RossemJ SMrrn, or' York, in the county of Yorlcand State of Pennsylvania, have `invented certain nen' and useful :Improvements .inMethods and Means forControllingfthe Flow infFluid- Conduit Systems; and Ido hereby Vdeclare the following to be a full,1clear, and exact description of the invention, 'such as will enable others skilled inf-'the -art towhiehit appertains to imake Vandvuse the same.

My invention relates to an in'lproved method und ine-ans for regulating-fand Acontrolling the flow oi' Huid inaiiuid conduit system. By the term Huid, as used vin the title of my `invention.'and hereinafter used elsewhere throughout my specification, itis to be understood that *refer :to 4such ele-l ments or combination of;elenuints'as.are capable of existence in liquid, .liquid `and gaseous or only gaseousvforlm, and 'byiiiuid conduitsystem. IV refer to such systems-as are used in the'transportation'of such fluids abovenamed from one point to another-'by lowing.

It is one of the objects ofmy' invention to provide a methodand means for regulat ing the yHow in a {iuidcondiiit system 'bythe introduction of an-elastic body ito oppose the initial pressure inducingr the flow.

Another obj eet of my invention is the herein described method yand means of regulating the 'ow of a finid without resorting to valves or other mechanical cheeks of any description. v

Still another object of my invention resides in the utilization of a pneumatic `check for regulating or stopping the ii'ow of a fluid in a `fluid conduit system.

A -still `fur-ther object resides-in the provision, in a dam, 4Weir,ffl'ume, or the like, of a novel automatic means for relieving -any undue pressure created by the fluid which would otherwise tend to impair the safety of the dam, Weir, flume, or the like, such means being so -arranged'that the flow of water,therethrough is controllable at will.

Gth'erlobjects 'of my invention Will appear in the following description of specific embodiments of the principles of'my invention.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of my specification:

aigure l illustrates a transverse section through a dam, spillway and tail-race, ernbodyinfr my invention.

Fig. 2- is en upstream View of the dam Specification of Letters Patent.

OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

TH'E FLOW IN FLU'ID-C'ONDIJ'I'I` SYSTEMS.

Patente-d nec. 4, 1917. 1915. Seria1No. 28,741.

shown .inF ig. l, and showing the tail-race Water in section. U

F ig. 3 is a top plan View of the dam shownin Figs. 1 and V2.

Fig 4 is -atransverse 4sec-tion through Va modification of the dam shown in Fig. l, this dam-embodying a-fluid conduit -or 4supplementaryviuid passage arranged entirely within the dem.

.Fig- .i5 isa top plan view of the same.

Eig. '6'.-i'1lustrates in cross-section a' .Huid conduit system, such as a pipeline, em,- bodying a'p'lurality of uni-t Ebends which, in the manner herein after described, act as cheek controlling means for-the:fluid.

. Fig-f7 is an end view` ofthe system shown in-Fig. v

4Figli Vis a top l:plan View :of the system shownin Figs-6 andjz?.

' lWVith .partieularfreference' `to Figs. l, -2 and, they :system as embodied in thedam shown, com-prises a 'spillw'ay l, a pier-2,.the headWater-.f and tail-race 4. Inpthe pier 2 is'femb'odied a supplementary passage or.

conduit' 5 which is of an inverted U-shape having :a shorter leg submerged Abeneath the surfaceof the headwater at a pointabove the .surface of vthewater in the tail-race 4, the longer leg being extended and lconnected with a pipe 7"'Which terminates below the surface'of the `Water in the tail-race, thev highest point ofthe bend being below the surface of the headwater under 4normal eonditions. 4It will be seen from this construetion that, due to thediferenee in pressure resulting vfrom the di''erenee in height -between the headwater and taiLraCe, a. flow of Water Wil-l normally take .place through the passage 5. At the -bendS `the cross-sectional area of the passage is greater' than at Aany other point along the passage, 4in order to provide' a chamber at-this point. At the top point of the bend I provide a pipe 9 connected with an air pressure. tank or.

air compressor not shown. In order to regulate the flow through the passage, air under pressure is introduced into this nipe 9. and flows therefrom to the chamber or enlarged ortion at the "bend 8. If the pressure of air 1n this chamber is increased suiiiciently to overcome the pressure resulting from the diiference in height between the headwater and the Water in the tail-race, it will be seen that the flow of Water through the pa.N sage will be stopped. If the headw-s.

should riseto such a point that it would endanger the safety of' the dam, (his point being determined by the engineerl constructing the dam, the air pressui'e in the chamber at the bend of the supplementary passage would be overcome and water would start to flow throilgh the passage thereby relieving the strain on'the dam. 1V hen the headwater flows to its normal height the flow 0f water through the supplementary passage could then be checked, or reduced to any flow desil'ed by admitting air pressure to the bend through the pipe 9.

It may not at all times be convenient t0 provide a,pipe 7, the end of which would be submerged below the water in the tailrace, and therefore in order to provide means for controlling the water of a dam in which the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 cannot be used, I have devised the construction shown in Fig` 4, wherein the'supplement-ary passage 10 is entirely located'within the pier- 11 'of the dam. In this casethe passage comprises atthe head vend 'an in'- verted U-shaped---portion similar to ythat shown in the construction shown in Figs. 1, i? and 3, but the longer leg is extended 'and' bent up to a normal U-shape form, the end of which is submergedbelow .the Water in the tail-race, at a point below the head end of the passage; In this construction', means l2 are also providedl for introducing air pressure into the chamber formed at the head end'bend, and it will be seen that the flow of water may be regulated in a manner similar to that described in connection With the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

With reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I have shown a construction which is suitable for long pipe line systems; the fluid enters ata point 13 and courses through a series of inverted U-shaped bends 14, air ladmission means 15 being provided at the top of each bend. When it is desired to regulate., the flow in this system air pressure is introduced through the means '15 at the top of each bend and the fluid in each bend is depressed onone side so as to trap sufficient volume of air therein to overcome the pressure at 13 inducing the flow.

It will be evident that While I have herein described three specific forms of my invention, the principles thereof may be applied to any pipe line or fluid conduit system in which it is desired to regulate the flow of fluids. It will also be evident that by raising the pressure of the air-to that point which overcomes the pressure inducing the iow, the fluid may be stopped from flowing through. the system. However it it is only wished to modify the How, the pressure o-I air may be maintained. at a point below the pressure inducing the How and thereby the volume of fluid flowing through the passage will be restricted.

It is to be understood that while I have herein shown specific embodiments I do not wish to be limited-thereto except for such limitations as my claims may import.

I claim:

1. In combination with a fiuid reservoir and a tail basin, a sloping conduit interconnecting the two to permit a normal gravity flow from the former to the latter, said con duit including an intermediate bend having its highest elevation always below the fluid level in the reservoir, the Ainlet and outlet ends of said conduitbeing constantly submerged in the fluid in the reservoir and tail basin respectively, and means for introduc` ing a :body of compressed air or the equivn.-

lent into the bend in said conduit to supplement the `resistance to flow offered by the Huid in the tail basin thereby forming a back pressure equalizing the head pressure to temporarily interrupt the gravityyiowthrough the-conduit. i

' 2.1,In` combination, a-fluid pressure supply, a -conduit having one end in connection therewith, a recipient Huid pressure mass in connection, with the other end of said conduit and offering a back pressure always less than the pressure of the fluid supply whereby a flow from the former to the latter nor inally occurs, and means for developing air pressure or the like Within the conduit to supplement the back pressure offered by the recipient mass and create a resistance to equalize the pressure of the fiuid supply, thereby temporarily interrupting the flow.

3. In combination, head and tail water basins having a spillway tube connecting the two, said tube having its ends submerged and provided with a bend in its intermediate portion having a peak sufficiently lower than the level of the head water to permit a normal gravity flow through the tube, and means for adding fluid pressure resistance to the .resistance of the tail water to overcome the pressure of the head water and interrupt the flow through said tube.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

WILLIAM RUS SELL SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

